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I can only guess you are not in a STEM career. I am an electrical engineer. When I was 14, I did not know I would become one. I use math in my work every day.

I can only guess you are not in a STEM career. I am an electrical engineer. When I was 14, I did not know I would become one. I use math in my work every day. If Mr. Funacello (Norwood High) has not taught me Algebra I and II (had him twice) back in the day, I would not be an engineer now. Our kids need teachers like him. Some people use science and math beyond your experience in "every day life". These are the people that created the steam engine, Apollo, the Internet and our Covid vaccines. From the school board: "Let me be totally clear, we are talking about taking Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 – those three courses that we've known and loved ... and removing them from our high school mathematics program, replacing them with essential concepts for grade eight, nine, and 10." Fewer of these poor children will be in STEM careers. This is not to belittle whatever it is you do. All occupations are important. If I had it to do over again, I might be a plumber and start a business, skipping the student loan BS.

tssva 5y ago
Why would these changes result in any less children in STEM careers? The material presented in Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, etc. isn't being eliminated. The material is just being presented throughout a multi-year curriculum instead of being dumped into a single dedicated classes.
- sqqqqrly 5y ago
  Why this now? Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=siS8jlTcUzo&ab_channel=VirginiaDepartmentofEducation https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=siS8jlTcUzo&ab_c.... I did. The VMPI's number one goal (21:13) is to "Improve equity in mathematics learning opportunities". Note that is "equity", not equality. Why that difference? I would suggest that kids be given "equal" opportunities. Some will excel at STEM, some will excel at other things like business. Unfortunately, some will not excel. In 2018, 13 of 39 HSs in Baltimore have not a single child proficient in Math. NOT ONE! I do not have data for Norfolk, but is it likely to be much different? You cannot tell me that not a single kid in those 13 HSs are capable. In these HSs, none excel. Wouldn't we be better off helping these kids? Relabeling course names...is that a solution?
  - MyHypatia 5y ago
    The course names aren't being relabeled, they are being changed to introduce more concepts instead of just doing geometry for one year and then never discussing it again. I don't see any evidence the curriculum is being watered down. I don't see the problem in making math appeal to more people. We need more people who enjoy and understand math, not less. Including things like word problems that appeal to kids interested in different careers, data sets to analyze, practice creating models to describe the physical world. I think this will make math more interesting and relatable. Also, I think the concepts will stick with them more than spending and entire year only thinking about triangles and congruency, and then never thinking about it again.
    - hw-guy 5y ago
      Having all students through Grade 10 taking the same classes will inevitably result in watering down the curriculum, as the material and expectations will have to accomodate the slowest students. Replacing Algebra 1 with "Algebra concepts" is like replacing cheese with "cheese food."
      - MyHypatia 5y ago
        Right now, if students are motivated they can test out of Algebra 1, Geometry, or Algebra 2 to advance faster. I don't see any prohibition on letting students test out of these math classes to advance faster either. Is there? The main difference is whether we spend an entire year on just geometry and then never bring it up again. Or whether we introduce a few mathematical concepts like data analysis, model development, and probability as students are learning these concepts. I don't see how this is an inevitable "watering down the curriculum." If there is language prohibiting students from advancing faster, then yes I think that is a problem. Including these concepts in the curriculum, in my opinion is good.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
MyHypatia 5y ago
I am an engineer. I use math everyday in my job. You could have just disagreed, without trying to make it sound like the reason we disagree is because I must be clueless. The article said the courses incorporate, "data analysis, mathematical modeling, and probability." How is this "everyday math" for people who will never do STEM? I use far more data analysis, probability, and modeling than I do pure geometry (although I use that too as well).
- sqqqqrly 5y ago
  Sorry if you got that impression. Who says not being in a STEM field makes one "clueless"? That is your word, not mine.
  - MyHypatia 5y ago
    You started your response saying, "I can only guess you are not in a STEM career." As if the disagreement is based on "someone who uses math" vs. "someone who doesn't use math". I disagree with the article because it intentionally misrepresents changes to the math curriculum. In reality the changes to the math curriculum of including probability, modeling, and data analysis are all very useful to people pursuing STEM careers. These changes are perfectly reasonable and even welcome. Politicizing these changes as some kind of leftist plot against math is the problem.

tssva 5y ago

Why would these changes result in any less children in STEM careers? The material presented in Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, etc. isn't being eliminated. The material is just being presented throughout a multi-year curriculum instead of being dumped into a single dedicated classes.

sqqqqrly 5y ago
Why this now? Watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=siS8jlTcUzo&ab_channel=VirginiaDepartmentofEducation https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=siS8jlTcUzo&ab_c.... I did. The VMPI's number one goal (21:13) is to "Improve equity in mathematics learning opportunities". Note that is "equity", not equality. Why that difference? I would suggest that kids be given "equal" opportunities. Some will excel at STEM, some will excel at other things like business. Unfortunately, some will not excel. In 2018, 13 of 39 HSs in Baltimore have not a single child proficient in Math. NOT ONE! I do not have data for Norfolk, but is it likely to be much different? You cannot tell me that not a single kid in those 13 HSs are capable. In these HSs, none excel. Wouldn't we be better off helping these kids? Relabeling course names...is that a solution?
- MyHypatia 5y ago
  The course names aren't being relabeled, they are being changed to introduce more concepts instead of just doing geometry for one year and then never discussing it again. I don't see any evidence the curriculum is being watered down. I don't see the problem in making math appeal to more people. We need more people who enjoy and understand math, not less. Including things like word problems that appeal to kids interested in different careers, data sets to analyze, practice creating models to describe the physical world. I think this will make math more interesting and relatable. Also, I think the concepts will stick with them more than spending and entire year only thinking about triangles and congruency, and then never thinking about it again.
  - hw-guy 5y ago
    Having all students through Grade 10 taking the same classes will inevitably result in watering down the curriculum, as the material and expectations will have to accomodate the slowest students. Replacing Algebra 1 with "Algebra concepts" is like replacing cheese with "cheese food."
    - MyHypatia 5y ago
      Right now, if students are motivated they can test out of Algebra 1, Geometry, or Algebra 2 to advance faster. I don't see any prohibition on letting students test out of these math classes to advance faster either. Is there? The main difference is whether we spend an entire year on just geometry and then never bring it up again. Or whether we introduce a few mathematical concepts like data analysis, model development, and probability as students are learning these concepts. I don't see how this is an inevitable "watering down the curriculum." If there is language prohibiting students from advancing faster, then yes I think that is a problem. Including these concepts in the curriculum, in my opinion is good.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]

MyHypatia 5y ago

I am an engineer. I use math everyday in my job. You could have just disagreed, without trying to make it sound like the reason we disagree is because I must be clueless. The article said the courses incorporate, "data analysis, mathematical modeling, and probability." How is this "everyday math" for people who will never do STEM? I use far more data analysis, probability, and modeling than I do pure geometry (although I use that too as well).

sqqqqrly 5y ago
Sorry if you got that impression. Who says not being in a STEM field makes one "clueless"? That is your word, not mine.
- MyHypatia 5y ago
  You started your response saying, "I can only guess you are not in a STEM career." As if the disagreement is based on "someone who uses math" vs. "someone who doesn't use math". I disagree with the article because it intentionally misrepresents changes to the math curriculum. In reality the changes to the math curriculum of including probability, modeling, and data analysis are all very useful to people pursuing STEM careers. These changes are perfectly reasonable and even welcome. Politicizing these changes as some kind of leftist plot against math is the problem.